Name Change for a Minor in Colorado
Colorado changes a child's name through a separate form set from the adult process, and the first question is which court: if the child, under 19, is already the subject of a case for child support, parental responsibilities, parenting time, or dependency and neglect, the petition goes to the district court holding that case. If there is no such case, it goes to the county court where the child resides. The parent or petitioner must be at least 18. A child 14 or older needs a fingerprint-based criminal history check dated within 90 days, attached to the petition. The other parent is brought in by consent or by certified-mail notice. The guide that states all of this, JDF 420, was revised October 12, 2026, and this page follows that revision.
Step 1 and 2: fingerprints and the background check (14 and older only)
If the child is under 14, skip to filing. If the child is 14 or older, schedule a fingerprinting appointment, then order a Colorado Bureau of Investigation (state) and FBI (nationwide) fingerprint-based background check from the CBI. The child cannot have been adjudicated of a felony, and the case must be started within 90 days from the date of the background reports. The 90-day currency rule is the same discipline as the adult process, applied to the child: do not get fingerprinted months early.
Step 3: file with the court
Complete the starting paperwork: JDF 421, the Name Change Petition, with the background checks attached where required; JDF 423, the Consent of Non-Custodial Parent, skipped if both parents signed the petition; and JDF 448, the Name Change Decree, sections A to C completed. File in person or by mail, pay or include the filing fee, and the court will notify the filer of the hearing date and time. The fee amounts are not stated in the guide text read for this page — the guide directs filers to its Fees section and to the fee-waiver forms JDF 205 (motion) and JDF 206 (order) — so confirm the filing fee and any certified-copy fee with the court rather than relying on a secondary figure. The law directing the process is C.R.S. sections 13-15-101 and 13-15-102.
Steps 4 to 6: notice, hearing, decree
Skip the notice step if both parents signed the petition or if JDF 423 was filed. Otherwise, complete JDF 422, the Notice to Non-Custodial Parent, mail it by certified mail with return receipt requested, and file the receipt and a copy of the form at least 14 days before the hearing. At the hearing, attend and the court will deny the request or sign the decree. If the name change is granted, the court sends the written decree — keep the original for your records, and submit a certified copy (obtained from the clerk's office, fee required) or a regular copy to any business or agency needing to process the change. The guide's Legal Advisory section repeats the adult guide's warning verbatim in substance: the instructions are informational only, do not constitute legal advice, and a person who represents themselves is bound by the same rules and process as a lawyer. Publication and record-suppression rules for minor name changes changed by recent legislation and are not stated on this page from the guide text read; confirm the current publication and privacy rules with the court before filing.
Source
Filing court, age rules, steps, forms, and fee-waiver forms from JDF 420, Guide to Changing a Child's Name (revision October 12, 2026), opened in full 2026-10-30. Filing-fee amounts not legible in the guide text read and not stated. Publication and suppression rules for minors: not stated from the guide text read; confirm with the court. This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute about your specific situation, talk to your state motor vehicle agency or court.
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